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CALIFORNIA 



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PEUNE INDUSTET. 



History and Importance of the Prune Industry, Alethods of Cultivation, 
Varieties, Picking, Curing, Packing, and Production. 



By B. M. LELONG, 
Secretary of the State Board of Horticulture. 



EX OFFICIO CHIEF HORTICULTURAL OFFICER. 




SACRAMENTO: 

vSTATK OFFICE, : : : A. J. JOHNSTON, vSUPT. STATE PRINTING. 

1892. 



r — "JK-— ^<v>>; 



CALIFORNIA 



PKUNE INDUSTKY. 



History and Importance of the Prune Industry, Methods of Cultivation, 
Varieties, Picking, Curing, Pacidng, and Production. 



/ 



V 



By B;^ Mr LELONG, 
Secretary of the State Board of Horticulture. 



EX OFFICIO CHIEF HORTICULTURAL OFFICER. 




STATK OFFICE, : 



SACRAMENTO: 

: A. J. JOHNSTON, SUPT. STATE PRINTING. 
1892. 






OALIFORlSriA 

STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



ELLWOOD COOPER, President Santa Barbara, 

Commissioner for the Los Angeles District. 

L. W. BUCK, Vice-President ..Vacaville, 

Commissioner for the Napa District. 

S. RUNYON, Treasurer. .Courtland, 

Commissioner for the Sacramento District. 

J. L. MOSHER, Auditor San Francisco, 

Commissioner for the State at Large. 

FRANK A. KIMBALL National City, 

Commissioner for the State at Large. 

A. F. WHITE Santa Rosa, 

Commissioner for the Sonoma District. 

FRED. C. MILES Penryn, 

Commissioner for the EI Dorado District. 

L H. THOMAS Visalia, 

Commissioner for the San Joaquin District. 

A. BLOCK ...Santa Clara, 

Commissioner for the San Francisco District. 

B. M. LELONG, Secretary ....Ex officio Chief Horticultural Officer. 

ALEXANDER CRAW Quarantine Officer. 

ELLA F. HALLAHAN . Clerk. 

Office of the Board: 
No. 220 Sutter Street, San Francisco. 



n r „> ; 



>»x 



r^CALIFORNIA PRUNE INDUSTRY. 

By B. M. LELONG, 

Secretary of the State Board of Horticulture, and ex olticio Chief Horticultural OlKcer. 



HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE OF THE PRUNE. 



The name "prune" is derived from the Latin prunum, a plum, and 
in its generally accepted designation is applied to those special varie- 
ties of the plum family that possess exceptional curing qualities, of firm 
texture, easily dried whole in the sun, or artificially, without fermenting 
at the pit. These varieties form the prune of commerce, and it is of 
those that the present paper will treat, although in the matter of soil, 
climate, methods of cultivation, etc., there is little difference in the 
propagation of the various members of the plum family, and the treat- 
ment adapted to one is usually applicable to all. 

According to Theophrastus, the prune was cultivated in Asia Minor 
in most remote ages. Pliny speaks of its cultivation by the Romans, 
and makes mention of eleven varieties proceeding from the domestic 
prune introduced into Italy by Caton, the ancient. It grew without 
cultivation in the environs of Damascus, and a very rustic and vigorous 
variety, known as the Black Damascus, is much used by the nursery- 
men of Europe as subject for grafting all other varieties. The introduc- 
tion of the prune into France is attributed to the Crusaders. If tradition 
is correct, this valuable fruit was first cultivated in the southwest of 
France by the inmates of a convent near Clairac. In traveling from 
Aiguillon to Fumel, through the productive valley of the Lot, fertile 
plains are seen bordering the picturesque riversides, covered with plum 
trees, which furnish the famous prunes d'Ente and Robe de Sergent, 
which are exported to the remotest corner of the commercial world. 

This valuable tree, Avhich loves a temperate climate, does not confine 
itself to this special section of France, but is profitably cultivated where- 
ever climatic and soil conditions are favorable to its growth, as is dem- 
onstrated by its extensive cultivation in the valley of the Loire, the 
departments of Garonne, Tarne, Dordogne, and Aveyron. The well 
known brand called Tours prunes comes from the orchards of the Loire. 

INTRODUCTION INTO CALIFORNIA. 

It is to France that California is indebted for this healthful and profit- 
able fruit. Louis Pellier, a French sailor, who had visited many parts 
of the world, arrived in San Francisco in 1849, and went to work in the 
mines in Trinity County. He did not succeed well there, and finally 
removed to San Jose early in the fifties. Here he established a nursery. 
He soon after induced his brother Pierre, whom he had left in France, 
to join him in California, and the two brothers worked the nursery to- 
gether until the spring of 1856, when Pierre returned to France in order 



— 4 — 

to marry a girl to whom he was engaged. Combining business with 
matrimony, he secured a large number of cuttings of prunes, grapes, 
and other fruits, which he brought back with him on his return. His 
bride and his brother Jean accompanied him, and, together with the 
box of precious cuttings, they made the voyage successfully, crossing 
the isthmus, and arriving in San Francisco in December, 1856. 

The prune cuttings were procured in the Ville Neuve d'Agen, from 
whence the common California prune derives its name of Petit Prune 
d'Agen. They were carefully packed in a box about sixteen inches 
square by four feet in length, which was lined with cloth, and every 
precaution was taken to insure the safe ai'rival of what has since proved 
the germ of one of the most important industries of California. Upon 
its arrival the shipment was at once transmitted to Louis Pellier at San 
.Jose, and a number of plum roots were grafted to the newly arrived 
prunes. This started the first prune nursery on the Pacific Coast, which 
was located in the city of San Jose, on Devine Street, between Tarraine 
and Santa Teresa. 

The importance of Pellier's experiment was not at first appreciated. 
A German nurseryman named B. Kamp procured some grafts from 
Pellier, and also worked for the introduction of the prune. He was one 
of the first to put out prune trees in orchard row. But comparatively 
little attention was paid to prune growing, as a specialty, for a quarter 
of a century after its introduction into the State. The superiority of 
California as a fruit-growing State, however, at last forced itself upon 
jmblic attention, and, among other fruits, the prune was given a trial, 
and it soon proved its great capacity as a profitable crop, and to-day it 
ranks among the leading industries of the Golden State. 

GROWTH OP THE INDUSTRY. 

Probably the oldest orchard of any size in the State is the Bradley orchard, 
on Stevens' Creek road, about two miles out of San Jose. This was set out in 
1870. The success of this led others to go into prune growing, and the 
O'Banion & Kent orchard, near Saratoga, was planted in 1878-9, and the Dr. 
Handy orchard of one hundred acres, at Saratoga, followed in 1880-81 ; in 1881 
the Buxton orchard, also at Saratoga, was planted, and prune gromng and 
curing on a large scale became a fixed fact. 

From that time the growth of the industry has been phenomenal. The 
prune industry has been practically the growth of the past decade, for 
within that period the planting of orchards, their cultivation, and the 
proper care of their product, have grown into a system. In the prune 
center of Santa Clara County, which ten years since produced not a 
pound of this fruit, it is now exported by the carload. Above Los 
Gatos Mr. Morrell was then one of the heaviest producers, and his 
output was five to six tons per annum; he now packs from five to six 
carloads each season from the same orchard. 

Santa Clara County was from the beginning the center of the prune 
industry, and here was demonstrated the fact that prune growing would 
pay; that no extraordinary care was required in cultivation or mysterious 
skill in preparation. As soon as these facts were demonstrated other 
counties took up the pursuit, until now the prune is found in all except 
the highest mountain counties in the State. In 1870 there were but 
19,059 prune trees in the State, while the Assessors' reports for 1886, 
which are probably 25 per cent too low, give the number in the various 
counties that year at 1,077,841. 



The Assessors' reports for 1891 show a very large increase in the past 
five years in those counties which have made returns. 

A large portion of tiiese trees, perhaps one half, are not yet in full 
bearing. It is estimated that when the trees now growing in Santa 
Clara County alone shall have matured the annual product will be over' 
forty million pounds of dried fruit. 

JIABITAT OF THE PRUNE. 

The prune is a very hardy tree, and will thrive in a wide range of 
climate and soil and at various elevations. Wherever the Green Gage 
plum will grow the prune can be grown. It will stand severe winter 
weather, and will grow where the thermometer touches zero. Its favorite 
habitat, however, is a temperate climate and a warm, generous soil. It 
can be grown in the Eastern States, but the short seasons there, the 
numerous pests, and the unfavorable conditions for drying which exist, 
prevent the East from ever entering the field as a competitor to Cali- 
fornia in the prune industry. Even in California, while the tree will 
grow in nearly all the counties, there are but few favored localities in 
which it appears at its best. In some sections of this State where the 
))rune makes a thrifty growth and yields heavily, there is a lack of 
saccharine matter in the fruit that deprives it of its best qualities, and 
when dried a very inferior product is the result. In other localities 
large juicy fruit will be grown, which decreases heavily in drying. The 
prime requisites in the prune are solid, firm flesh, that will not ferment 
at the pit in drying, a rich, fruity flavor and bouquet, and a keeping 
quality that will stand the test of months or years without serious loss 
from shrinkage, and those sections which possess the peculiarities of 
soil and climate which insure these in their greatest perfection are the 
true prune sections. The drying quality of the prune varies very greatly 
owing to the varieties of soil in which it is grown. In some localities 
it will shrink in drying from four to one, while in others two and a half 
pounds of green fruit will make one pound of dried. The fruit will 
also vary in different places in thickness and toughness of skin. 

The prune is a gross feeder, and wants for its best development a rich 
and heavy soil, with sufficient moisture to feed it. The foothills of 
Santa Clara County have long been regarded as especially favorable to 
the prune, but, as experiments in its growth have been made, other 
sections have been found that furnish all the required conditions, and 
while Santa Clara is still, and probably always will be, the center and 
most important section of this industry, it is not now the only prune 
county of the State. The most extensive single prune orchard in the 
State is now in the Salinas Valley, in San Luis Obispo County, on the 
eastern slope of the Coast Range, near the town of Templeton, In this 
orchard there are nearly three hundred acres of prunes in one body, 
containing thiraH huwiJi^^^BWf^tWfWTty-Jour thousand tr65^: Sumt' very 
excellent prunes are produced in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, 
San Diego, Ventura, Alameda, Monterey, Napa, Sonoma, and in the 
counties of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys, while especially 
good results have been reported from Tehama, Shasta, Humboldt, Sutter, 
and Yuba Counties. It is not improbable that in time the different 
localities of the State will discover certain lines in which each excels, 
and the production of specialties in that line will result, the fruit from 
each being known for its own peculiarities. 




— 6 — 



METHODS OF CULTIVATION. 



SOIL AND STOCK. 

The soil required for prunes depends largely upon the stock used, or 
rather, perhaps, the stock should be selected to suit the soil. A light, 
deep, sandy loam, not too moist, and well drained, is adapted to peach 
stock, which does well on the sedimentary deposits of the higher valleys. 
Such soils are warm and light, and experience has proved that peach 
stock will do better here than on the heavier, clayey lands of the 
bottoms. 

In the heavier soils plum stock does better than peach, and the 
Myrobalan, or wild plum stock, is the favorite. It is hardy, forms a 
good union with its graft, and does not sucker as other plum stock will. 

The almond stock is a favorite with many growers who have a rocky 
subsoil, as it does well in such land — even better than the peach. 

The preparation of the soil depends largely upon its peculiarities. If 
heavy, it should be deeply plowed and subsoiled. If there is a hardpan 
subsoil, this should also be broken, which can be done with any good 
subsoil plow; in any event the ground should be plowed deep and well 
stirred up for ventilation. It is well, where practicable, to begin the 
preparation of the land for an orchard some time before the planting of 
it. It should be thoroughly and deeply plowed early in the fall, leaving 
the surface rough and exposed to the air during the winter. This facil- 
itates the access of air to the lower layers and gives vitality to the soil. 
Following in the furrow with a subsoil plow is desirable, especially in the 
conversion of old grain lands into orchards, as it breaks up the old 
hardpan which has probably formed through years of shalloAV culture. 
The preparation may continue through the following summer, and, 
where practicable, hoed crops can be grown, or the land can be left to 
summer-fallow, care being taken to keep it thoroughly pulverized and 
free from weeds. If it is desirable to fertilize the land, manure can be 
applied in the winter, before the trees are planted. If this is not done 
then, the work should be left until the trees are planted, and the manure 
should be evenly spread over the surface during the winter, to be plowed 
under in the spring. Care should be taken to spread it evenly and not 
mass it around the young trees, unless it is to be applied as a mulch to 
prevent evaporation after spring cultivation. 

If it is desired to plant the land immediately after breaking up, the 
work should be commenced as early in the fall as it is possible to do 
deep plowing, and the ground should be stirred to a depth of ten or 
twelve inches or more, if practicable, and should afterwards be thor- 
oughly harrowed. If it is still early, cross-plow deeply and follow with 
a subsoil plow, working to a depth of fourteen inches or more. Harrow 
again thoroughly and the land is ready for the trees. 

PLANTING THE ORCHARD. 

In laying off the orchard it is desirable to have it symmetrical and to 
economize the land. A little thought and care displayed at the com- 



mencement will save much annoyance in after years, and it is no greater 
task to have the orchard neat in appearance and symmetrical in outline 
tlian to have it in a haphazard condition. There are three objects to be 
considered in laying out the orchard: symmetry of appearance, economy 
of space, and facility for future care. Of course the first thing is to get' 
the trees in straight rows, at equal distances apart, and every one thinks 
he can accomplish this. But there are various methods of disposing of 
the straight row, and these methods all have their advocates, and each 
one its advantages. The principal forms are the square, the quincunx, 
and the hexagonal or se])tuple. The methods most common in use are 
the square and the quincunx systems. The most generally adopted is 
the square system, as the orchard can be changed to quincunx after being 
planted, even after a number of years' growth. 

PLANTING SYSTEMS. 

In order that the most approved planting systems may be better 
understood, they are illustrated to show how the orchard is first laid 
out, and how the trees look after several years of growth. 

The Square System. 

" " " les 

ERRATA. ed 

Reafl number of trees in square system 108, instead of 109. ^^* 

Quincunx System. 

In this system the orchard is laid off" in the same manner as for square 
planting, except that the number of rows are doubled and a tree planted 
in the center of every square. This method is chiefly used in planting 
with reference to a future removal of the center trees, which are gener- 
ally dwarf, when those designed to be permanent shall have attained a 
considerable size, and the orchard then assumes the square plan. At 
twenty feet apart, one hundred and ninety-nine trees are planted to an 
acre by this method. 

Hexagonal System. 

In this system the trees are equilateral — equally distant from each 
other — and more completely fill the space than any other system can. 
Six trees form a hexagon and inclose a seventh. The lines in the figure 
(page 10) indicate the method of laying out the orchard. By this 
method, at twenty feet apart, one hundred and twenty-six trees are 
l>lanted to an acre. 

Triangular, or Alternate System. 

In laying out an orchard by this system, the lines are run forming a 
square, as in the square system; a line is, then run diagonally across, 
and a tree planted alternately, forming a triangle. The advantage in 
this system is that the trees are given more space, and can be planted 
closer together without crowding. 



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Hexagonal System. 



— 11 — 




Triangular, or Alternate System. 



— 12 — 

The following table will show the number of trees to the acre by the 
square, quincunx, and hexagonal or septuple systems: 





SonarP Hexagonal, 
square. ^^ Septuple. 


Quincunx. 




dUR .500 


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ERRATA. 



also in line 

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11, (page 12) from below. 


76 
48 






24 feet 


86 
56 


lav 


30feet 


83 







Note.— In giving tlie distances of trees of the quincunx, the fifth or central tree is not 
taken into account. 

For any distances not given in the above data, calculate the number 
of trees to the acre by the square system, and add 1 5 per cent. This 
will give the number if planted septuple. 

In the proper planting of trees a little admixture of brains is an abso- 
lute necessity, as it is in all branches of orchard work. Rules that 
would apply to one locality and under one set of conditions will fail in 
another. Some of the most successful orchardists advise the removal of 
the top dirt carefully, then the digging of a hole of liberal depth and 
the placing of the surface soil in the bottom; upon this the tree roots 
are to be set and the hole filled up with top dirt. Where there is a sub- 
soil of cold, heavy clay this plan is admirable, but in warmer, sandy 
soils it is unnecessary. One of the most experienced prune growers in 
Santa Clara County advises the throwing out of a dead furrow after the 
land has been prepared, in which the trees are to be set at proper dis- 
tances, and the soil thrown back on them with a plow and afterwards 
pressed closely around the roots. 

The more careful method is the best, as it gives the young tree better 
root hold, and affords a larger area from which to derive its nourish- 
ment during its early period of growth. 

The distance at which trees are planted in orchard row varies from 
eighteen to twenty-four feet, twenty feet being the favorite, and under 
most conditions probably the best distance. On very strong soil the 
greater distance would be better, as where more closely planted the limbs 
of the full-grown trees are liable to become intertwined, and to render 
cultivation and gathering unhandy. At a distance of twenty feet apart, 
planted by the square plan, there would be one hundred and nine trees 
to the acre, and by the hexagonal plan one lumdred and twenty-six. 
After planting the young trees should be cut back to eighteen inches 
from tlie ground, and they should be protected during the first season 
from the heat of the sun by a shade on the south side. Three or four 
buds should be allowed to grow at the top, and the terminal buds of the 
lower branches should be pinched back after they have grown out a 
little, so that the buds will put out leaves and shade the stalk the first 
year. 

VARIETIES. 

The principal varieties are the California (the Petite Prune d'Agen), 
the Bulgarian, the Fellenberg, the German, the Hungarian and the 
Hungarian Date Prune, the Robe de Sergent, the Silver, and the Tragedy. 



— 13 — 

Of these the first named is by far the most popular, and forms the true 
shipping prune of California. 

California, or P. d'Agen. 




Branches of middling strength, bent at their very short internodes, of 
a deep brown on the shaded side, covered on the sunny side with a 
metallic Avhitish pellicle, smooth throughout their whole length. Wood 
buds small, conical, not very sharp, lying in a direction somewhat diverg- 
ing from the branch, borne on the salient supports, whose sides extend 
out to some extent; scales of a deep maroon, the outer ones bordered 
with whitish gray; shoots flexuous, smooth throughout; leaves hardly of 
medium size, oval-elliptic, or sometimes obovate, ending abruptly in a 
short point, concave and often slightly wavy in their outline, bordered 
with teeth deeply cut and rounded, or rather deeply crenated, well sup- 
ported on petioles of middling length and of middling strength, wine 
colored and very slightly downy; two small globular, yellow, pedicel- 
late glands attached to the base of the limb of the leaf. Fruit buds 
medium size, ovoid, not very sharp, gathered on, rather short and rather 
thick. Flowers rather large, petals rounded, somewhat incised or emar- 
ginated at their extremity, divisions of the calyx short, rather large and 
spread out, pendicles rather long, strong, and smooth. General hue of 
the foliage a light green, stiffness of all the leaves, petioles of the leaves 
well spread out and diverging, are the striking characteristics of the tree. 
Fruit medium size, exactly ovoid, more tapering on the side of the stock 
than on the side of the pistillary point, around which it is very obtuse, 
with the cheeks a little more convex than the faces, one of which is 
transversed by a scarcely appreciable furrow, and the other by a con- 
tinuation of the furrow deep enough to make the fruit appear as divided 
into two equal parts. Skin somewhat thick and firm, parting from the 
flesh, at first of a light purple, tinged with green; at maturity the purple 



— 14 — 

becomes very dark and covered with a thick and bluish bloom. Pistil- 
lary point of a golden yellow, attached very close to the surface of the 
fruit. Fruit stalk somewhat long, not very strong, of a light green, 
speckeled with brown on the side next the sun, inserted in a narrow and 
shallow cavity. Flesh yellow, fine, tender, rich in sugar juice, but whose 
aroma is not fine enough to constitute a toothsome fruit raw, but exceed- 
ingly good to dry. Pit small, almost exactly ellipsoid, flattened, emar- 
ginated at the end adjoining the stalk, rounded at the opposite extremity, 
with cheeks not very convex, slightly wrinkled, and most often separat- 
ing from the flesh. Ventral suture widely but not deeply furrowed, 
with denticulated edges; dorsal ridge not very salient, only somewhat 
sharp toward the end attached to the stalk, accompanied with fine but 
well-marked grooves. 

Rohe de Sergent. 




Fig. 2. 

This prune has been classed under various types of prunes grown in 
several districts of France. Fruit medium size, oval; skin deep purple, 
approaching to black, and covered with a thick blue bloom; flesh greenish 
yellow, sweet, and well-flavored, sugary, rich, and delicious, slightly 
adhering to the stone; a valuable drying and preserving variety. The 
tree is quite an upright grower, and has a much broader leaf than the 
Prune d'Agen. A peculiarity of this prune is that it cannot be worked 
on any other but plum stock, except by double working. When budded 
on peach and almond it sooner or later severs from the stock. The strik- 
ing characteristics of this tree are bright, shining, large leaves, lancet- 
shaped, growth strong, not tapering, violet brown underneath, with 
silvery skin pieces. 

Silver. 

Originated in Oregon; it is said to be a seedling of Coe's Golden Drop, 
which it much resembles. In the judgment of fruit experts, it is enti- 
tled to rank with the best drying plums and prunes, because of its large 
size, handsome appearance, and superior flavor. 

Fruit large, oval; a little necked, with one side a little more swollen 
than the other. Skin light yellow, marked with numerous dark red 




Fig. 3. 

spots on the surface side. Flesh yellow, firm, adhering to the stone; 
sweet and rich flavor. Tree a rapid grower, but does not bear as young 
as other varieties. 

Bulgarian. 




A variety cultivated in Alameda County, chiefly in the vicinity of 
Haywards. Fruit above medium size, dark purple, sweet and rich, 
with a pleasant acid flavor. Tree a vigorous grower, and an early, 
regular, and profuse bearer. The fruit is very tenacious, does not drop 
when mature; valuable for drying. 




Fruit medium oblong; the skin is tough, tasteless, easily removed; 
color violet, with golden spots on the sunny side; covered with a whitish 
silver bloom, and spotted all over with light yellow dots; sometimes it 
is covered with marks and liver-spots. The meat is greenish yellow, 
varying to light yellow, tender, and finely grained, very juicy and sweet. 
The tree is a vigorous grower, and wants warm climate. The big limbs 
at the upper ends are very crooked; violet-brown color, underside green- 
ish. The leaves are large, egg-shaped. A freestone. 

Fellenberg. 




Fig. 6. 



Oval, narrower towards the stem.. The skin is thick and easily 
removed; color violet-brown, sometimes violet-blue. Little gray dots 
are very numerous. The bloom is light blue. The meat is of a beautiful 
yellow color, consistent. A freestone; very juicy, with a very agreeable 
sweet and slightly acid taste. 



— 17 — 
Wmigenheim. 




Fig. 7. 

Fruit medium size, oval. Skin deep purple, covered with a thick, 
blue bloom. Flesh rather firm, greenish yellow, juicy, sugary, rich, 
separates from the stone. Ripens in August. 

Hungarian. 




Fig. 



Very large, dark red, ovate, tapering towards the stock, inclined to 
double; juicy and sweet. Its large size, bright color, productiveness, 
and shipping qualities render it a profitable variety for home or distant 
markets. Tree a rapid grower and profuse bearer. 




Fig. 9. 



A new i^prune originated by 0. R. Runyon, near Courtland, in Sacra- 
mento County. Seems to be a cross between the German and Purple 
Duane. Fruit quite large — nearly as large as the Purple Duane, looks 
much like it, only it is more elongated; skin dark purple; flesh yellow- 
ish green, very rich and sweet, being sweet from the time it commences 
to color; frees readily from the pit. Its early ripening (in June) makes 
it very valuable as a shipping fruit. One of the great points in favor 
of this prune is that the tree is scale-proof, being, in this respect, simi- 
lar to the Black Tartarian cherry. The tree is a rapid grower and of 
beautiful form. 

St. Martin. 




Fig. 10. 



A late variety, hardy, and a good bearer; very blunt at the stem 
end. The skin is thick, tasteless, and can be drawn from the flesh; 
color yellow, varying to greenish, dotted with red spots. The meat is 
golden yellow, very sweet, and very agreeable to the taste. A clingstone. 




Fig. 11. 

Fruit long, oval, and swollen on one side, a little narrower at the 
point. Skin fine, easily removed, turns dark brown on the sunny side. 
Bloom is light blue. The meat is greenish yellow, tender, quite sweet, 
losing its sweetness through an agreeable acid taste. Separates readily 
from the stone. 

Hungarian Date. 




Fig. 12. 

The fruit is large, long, rounding, at the stem very narrow. The fruit 
is thicker than wide; thickest in the middle. Skin is thick and tough, 
tasteless, and is easily removed; color dark violet-blue, with a reddish 
shine. On the sunny side there are many red dots and liver-spots. 
The meat is greenish yellow, coarse, shining, and of a juicy, sweet-wine 
taste. A freestone. 
2— J 



— 20 — 
St. Catherine. 




Fig. 13. 

Medium size, narrowing considerably towards the stalk. Skin very- 
pale yellow, overspread with thin white bloom. Flesh yellow, juicy, 
rather firm, and adheres partially to the stone; flavor sprightly, rich, 
and perfumed. 

Golden. 

Originated from seed of the Italian prune, somewhat larger than its 
parent, of light golden color, exquisite flavor, and good for drying. It 
is easily peeled and separates readily from the stone, which is quite 
small for the size of the fruit. The tree is a good grower, an abundant 
bearer, with heavy dark green foliage. 

PROPAGATION OF THE PRUNE. 

The first prunes were grafted on plum stock, but this has grown into 
disfavor on account of the tendency of plums to throw out suckers; and 
other stocks, the peach, the apricot, and lastly the Myrobalan plum, 
have come into use. 

There is an intimate relation between soil and stock. For light 
sandy soil the peach stock is yet in great favor, and many growers 
prefer it over all others. Upon heavier soils it does not do so well as 
does the Myrobalan. For some time apricot stock was the favorite, but 
it has now fallen into total disuse. Experience has taught fruit growers 
a severe lesson. The prune makes a very poor union with the apricot, 
and when the tree gets to be large enough to catch the wind it invariably 
breaks ofi" at the joint of the two stocks. In one instance a fruit grower 
lost one thousand trees in an orchard. 

Those who have prunes grafted on apricot root can prevent their loss 
in the following manner. As the peach makes a good union with both 
the prune and the apricot, it can be used as an aid: The soil must be 
removed from the tree so as to get at the union of it. The peach cion 
must be cut in such a way as to be inserted above and below the union. 
It will form an arch with the trunk of the tree. On small trees two 



— 21 



such grafts Avill suffice, but on large trees at least four should be placed. 
These grafts will eventually thicken and form a complete trunk for the 
tree. 




Fig. 14. 
Myrobalan phini tree. A. Tlie flower. B. Tlie fruit. 

The Myrobalan, or cherry plum {Prunus myrobalana) , has of late 
come into great favor as a stock for the prune. It is claimed by some 
growers that the fruit on Myrobalan stock is smaller than on peach 
stock, but that its flesh is more solid and dries heavier. The influence 
of the root on the cured fruit is, however, still a mooted question. 

The Myrobalan stock comes from France. It is a wild plum of great 
thriftiness, and is used very extensively in that country for budding 
stock of the prune. It grows readily from seed and cuttings, and is 
easily propagated. The seeds are generally sent to this coast in the 
middle of October, and then they are at once sprouted. There has been 
considerable discussion during the last few years as to what is the true 
Myrobalan, and it must be acknowledged that some of the refined dis- 
tinctions which have been mooted do not seem to be well placed. 
Seedlings grown from the seed of the Myrobalan vary, as do other fruit 
seedlings, both in fruit and in foliage and habit of trees; and perhaps 
this fact has given rise to the distinction between "true" and "false" 
Myrobalan, so called. Practice has proceeded without much reference 
to the discussion, and whether grown here from seed of trees imported 
long ago, or from cuttings of the same, or whether seedling stocks are 
imported directly from France, as large quantities are, the Myrobalan 
of French origin is now the accepted plum stock for California. It has 
largely displaced the St. Julien and the Mirabelle, as well as the peach. 
Though described by some authorities as a dwarfing stock, it is found 
to be sufficiently free growing in California to suit all purposes, and to 
form a good foundation for full standard trees. Such prominence has 
been attained by the stock that we introduce an engraving of the typical 
Myrobalan tree. Its leaves are smaller and its shoots finer than the 
cherry plum tree, grown for its fruit in this State. 

Whether Myrobalan shall be grown from seed or from cuttings is an 



— 22 — 

open questioli in California practice. Large quantities have been grown 
from cuttings, as is the French practice, according to BaUet. Other 
propagators hold, with W. H. Pepper, of Petaluma, that plum cuttings 
form a mass of fibrous roots at the lower end of the cutting, and when 
transplanted fail to send out strong supporting roots. As for the dura- 
bility of trees grown from cuttings, there can easily be found old, thrifty 
orchards planted with such trees, though it must be acknowledged a 
better root system would be expected from a seedling, and there are 
instances in which trees from cuttings are held to be diseased in the 
root, while seedling roots are healthy. Possibly longer experience may 
yield a demonstration of the question. 

Experience has shown that the Myrobalan stock thrives in this State 
both in low, moist, valley lands, in comparatively dry lands, and in stiff 
upland soils. Thus it has come to be accepted as an all-around stock 
for the prune. 

It is urged against peach stock for damp, heavy soils, that it does not 
do well; that the sap sours and the fruit will not set well, while the root 
is subject to root knot, borers, and other pests that do not affect the 
Myrobalan stock on the heavier soils. 

The prune is propagated by both budding and grafting. It is cus- 
tomary to bud the young stock first, as, if the bud does not take, it 
aflbrds an opportunity to graft later in the season, thus giving the nur- 
seryman two chances. The budding season extends from the middle of 
July to the end of August. The young trees are stripped of their leaves 
and twigs about six inches above the ground, at which place the bud is 
inserted. The grafting season is in January and February, at which 
time grafts are inserted in all the plants in which the buds have not 
taken. The grafting is done as near the surface of the soil as con- 
venient, usually about two or three inches from the ground. The whole 
process of budding and grafting is described at length elsewhere in the 
present report, under the caption of " Propagation," and can be dismissed 
here without further notice. 

CULTIVATION. 

In the prune orchard, as in all others, careful cultivation pays. A 
double object is attained by keeping the surface well pulverized. First, 
the weeds, which draw heavily upon the vitality of the soil, which should 
be devoted to tree and fruit growth, are destroyed, and the fertilizing 
qualities which they would extract from the land are left for the benefit 
of the growing fruit. Second, it prevents the rapid evaporation of the 
moisture of the soil, the loose surface acting as a mulch, and on dry 
lands especially renders the need of irrigation less frequent. Further 
advantages are found in the neat appearance of the orchard, making it 
pleasing to the eye, and further, rendering its penetration easy both to 
teams and men. A neglected orchard, overrun with weeds, takes money 
out of the pocket of the owner. 

It is customary to plow deeply in the early spring, usually as soon as 
the weeds are fairly started. The seeds of these are given a fair chance 
to germinate, in order that the plow may turn under and destroy as 
many as possible, rendering subsequent cultivation much easier. Near 
the tree rows, shallow plowing must be the rule, taking care to avoid 
injuring the roots as much as possible. After plowing, the land should 
be thoroughly harrowed and left in as good condition as it can be made. 



— 23 — 

After the spring plowing a cultivator, or weed cutter, should be run 
through the orchard from tw'o to four times in the season as may be 
needed, to keep the weeds down and the surface loose. Particular pains 
should be taken in the last cultivation to leave the ground beneath the 
trees as fine and smooth as it can be made. Many growers work it' 
fine with a rake, breaking carefully all lumps, smoothing down all 
hillocks or inequalities, and leaving a perfectly level and soft surface, 
upon which the ripened fruit can fall without injury. In foothill land 
it is usual after the harvest to plow a furrow on the low side of the row, 
which is left during the winter to catch the rainfall and prevent its 
escape to the lower lands. By this means the land gets the benefit of 
the entire winter precipitation, which is husbanded for summer use. 

IRRIGATION. 

The matter of irrigation is another thing that must be left to the indi- 
vidual orchardist, for it depends wholly upon the character of the soil 
upon which the orchard is growing. Some lands producing excellent 
prunes are so damp that drainage has to be resorted to in order to pre- 
vent the surplus water from drowning out the trees, while upon others, 
notably in the southern part of the State, where intense evaporation 
and dry land are the rule, irrigation must be frequent and thorough, 
and careful cultivation must follow each period of irrigation. In por- 
tions of the Santa Clara Valley, it is believed that at least twenty inches 
of rain are necessary to insure good crops, and winter irrigation is 
resorted to, the land being thoroughly soaked while the trees are in their 
dormant state, and no water is applied in the summer. Upon this ques- 
tion there is as great diversity of opinion as there is in regard to soil, 
and each grower must use his own best judgment, taking into consider- 
ation the characteristics of the land upon which his orchard is situated. 
In sections where irrigation is practiced for all orchard crops, the prune 
is treated the same as is the peach, the apricot, or the almond. 

PRUNING. 

The training of the young tree requires thought, care, and judgment. 
In the first three years of its life it is to assume the form which it is to 
retain during its whole existence. Here again, the individual judgment 
must be exercised, and conditions of soil, climate, and requirements 
must be considered. Two schools in regard to pruning have sprung 
up, each advocating a system diametrically opposed to the other, and 
each backing its opinions with plausible arguments — the one favoring 
high pruning, the other low; one heavy pruning, the other light. It is 
argued in favor of the high-cut tree that it is much easier to cultivate 
the orchard when a horse can be driven under the limbs, than when it 
is necessary to work under them with a hoe, as when they are trained 
low. The advocates of high pruning, in answ'er to the objections that 
high pruned trees in hot climates are liable to sun-burn, state that they 
may be planted closer together and thus aflbrd shade for each other. 
In favor of low pruning, it is urged that the limbs bending beneath their 
w'eight of fruit will find support on the ground, that the trunks are pro- 
tected from the sun, and that the fruit is easier to gather. 



— 24 — 

W. H. Aiken, of Wrights, gives the following rules for training the 
young tree: 

" Cut back the trees after planting to eighteen inches from the ground, 
and shade on south side by some convenient shade. Three or four buds 
should be allowed to grow at the top, and the terminal buds of those 
below pinched back after they have grown out a little, so that the buds 
will put out leaves and shade the stalk the first year. The second year 
remove them and cut back the limbs to a foot in length; the third, two 
feet, etc., the object in view being to shape a handsome tree with strength 
and bearing space, which can be attained only by low training and 
intelligent pruning. 

"After about six years of age, when in full bearing, the tree does not 
need cutting back as much as it does thinning out of cross limbs, if any, 
and pruning out unfruitful wood. The sprags or small twigs in body of 
the French prune tree should be cut back to one or two fruit buds, so 
that the fruit may be large. Some, however, advise the removal of 
all such sprags, as the fruit on them is small at the best. 

" It is important in pruning to select buds on the upper side of limbs, 
as they will have a greater weight-bearing power than buds forming 
branches from under side of boughs. Summer pruning is not advisable. 
A full season's growth properly pruned back in the winter, and trained 
low so that the branches take a natural upward and oblique direction, 
will shape a tree that will be strong and broad enough to live long and 
be fruitful. 

" My idea of pruning the prune tree is to make a handsome tree with 
plenty of limbs, and prune it back so that it will give the limbs great 
strength and bearing space. In that way you can raise a large amount 
of good plums or prunes. The tree should not be thinned out much 
unless the limbs cross, because Avhen they begin to bear the tree opens 
very nicely. I have eight-year old French prune trees, and, though 
they didn't average it, many of them had eight hundred pounds of 
French prunes on this year, without much affecting the form or shape 
of the tree. They were so pruned and so strong, and with such a broad 
bearing space, that they bore that amount of prunes and very easily, 
although it has been a dry year, and they were not quite as large as 
they would have been if there had been a little more moisture. I think 
the great mistake in raising the prune is leaving too few limbs, say one 
limb up in the air, and the other one in another direction, like two 
arms. On such a tree you can raise very little fruit, and it would be 
of very little profit. I am of the opinion, too, that this pruning should 
go on each year and give a fine form and strength and bearing space, 
and when the tree bears and gets to be over six years old, and is in 
good bearing, you don't need so much pruning back. Indeed, I think 
when the tree is eight, or nine, or ten years old, it does not need much, 
if any, pruning back; of course, take out the old limbs to keep it in good 
form or shape." 

Low training and little pruning after the fourth year have grown in 
favor of late, and are the systems which have the largest support 
among prune growers. The work of pruning should be commenced as 
soon as the sap stops flowing, which will depend upon the season, but 
as soon as the green leaves are gone, and no danger is to be apprehended 
from "bleeding," pruning may be advantageously begun. 



— 25 — 

YIELD. 

The prune is a prolific bearer and can be relied upon for annual crops. 
Unlike many fruits, it does not take an occasional season's rest, but will 
yield its average returns every season. If properly cultivated some' 
fruit may be gathered the third year, and the fourth year will yield a 
fairly profitable crop; the fifth year will give from fifty to sixty pounds 
to the tree, which the sixth year should double. From this time on the 
tree can be considered as in full bearing, and will give from one hundred 
and fifty to three hundred pounds of green fruit annually. The average 
yield for Santa Clara County is about three hundred pounds per tree. 
In some instances six hundred to eight hundred pounds to the tree are 
reported, and one six-year old tree in Visalia is credited with eleven 
hundred and two pounds of green fruit in one season. 



— 26 



PICKING AND CURING. 



PROCESS OF GATHERING. 

The prune is picked from the tree when fully ripe, which is indicated 
when it passes from light reddish to purple, and by the withering con- 
dition of the fruit. It is very important that the fruit be thoroughly 
ripe, or else when dried it will be devoid of that rich flavor so essential 
in a marketable fruit. In most sections the prune upon ripening has 
a tendency to drop to the ground, which fruit is gathered and processed 
with the rest of the crop. The picking of the fruit, simple as the pro- 
cess ajDpears, is one of the most particular things in prune culture. 
Many of the leading growers go over their orchards eight or ten times, 
gathering the ripest fruit each time. People are kept continually at 
work in the season gathering the ripe fruit. Starting at one end of the 
orchard they will work it over, and by the time they have got through 
the part first gathered is ready for the second picking, and this is 
repeated until the entire crop is harvested. The object is to get the 
fruit in its prime condition — rich, full, meaty, and thoroughly ripe. If 
it dries a little on the tree and begins to shrivel it is none the worse. 
The fruit is usually allowed to drop on the ground, from whence it is 
gathered, and no greater assistance is given it in falling than the gentlest 
tap on the trunk of the tree; a severe shaking even is not allowed. At 
the last picking the fruit that remains on the tree is gathered with that 
which has fallen. By this method the fruit is assured of positive ripe- 
ness, is solid, and is charged with saccharine matter so desirable in the 
cured article. The prune will generally drop from the tree when fully 
ripe, and will not rot even if left on the ground under the trees for 
several days. As the fruit shows indications of ripening the ground 
under the trees is generally cleared of all rubbish and worthless fruit, 
so that when the mature fruit does fall it can be gathered by itself, free 
from rubbish. Sometimes a sheet is placed upon the ground under the 
tree and the ripe fruit is shaken into it, after which the sheet is picked 
up by the corners and the fruit turned into boxes and loaded on a wagon 
to be taken to the drying ground. 

GRADING AND CURING. 

Prunes are usually graded before drying, and various home-made 
contrivances are employed. Some use inclined planes of adjustable 
slats, the grader being thus available for other fruits than prunes; the 
large fruit rolls along into receptacles at the bottom, while the small 
fruit falls through into other receptacles. Other grading devices are 
made with wire screens, or riddles of different sizes of mesh. Some of 
them work on the principle of a fanning mill, three to four riddles 
placed above one another, each with a slight incline, and a spout on the 
side, where each grade drops into a box. Some have a long riddle, say 
twelve feet long, with three different sizes of wire screen on it. This 
riddle is hung upon four ropes, with an incline; the prunes are thrown 



— 27 — 

in at the higher end, and by shaking it they roll down and fall through 
the holes into boxes underneath. The first piece of screen should be 
small, to let only stems and dirt through, and no prunes. This long 
hanging screen is also used to grade prunes after drying. 

The object to be attained by grading before drying is equality in ' 
drying. The smaller fruit dries more rapidly than the larger, and by 
grading it into two or three sizes, as it comes from the tree, greater uni- 
formity in evaporation is secured, and a more even quality of finished 
fruit is the result. The grader also removes all twigs, leaves, or other 
foreign substances which may have become mixed with the fruit in 
picking. 

The next process to which the fruit is subjected is known as dipping. 
This is one of the most important processes in the whole preparation of 
the prune for market, and much of the success of the pack will depend 
upon the person having it in charge. The ripeness of the fruit, the 
toughness of the skin, and other peculiarities of the fruit, have got to be 
considered in the preparation of the lye into which it is dipped, so that 
no certain rule can be laid down. The object to be attained is to 
remove the bloom, which fills up the pores, and at the same time crack 
the skin of the fruit so that evaporation may take place more rapidly. 
In its natural state the skin of the prune is almost impervious, and unless 
dipped the fruit would consume weeks if not months in drying. The 
usual strength of the dip is about one pound of concentrated lye to each 
ten gallons of water. The proper strength, however, must be left to the 
judgment of the operator, and the lye must be sufficiently strong to 
crack the skin of the prune. The lye must be kept boiling hot during 
the operation, and not allowed to cool by the immersion of the fruit. 
The length of time required for immersion also varies according to the 
toughness of the skin, the soil upon which the fruit is grown, and the 
age of the orchard, fruit from old orchards and heavy land being 
tougher than that from young orchards and freer soils. The average 
time required is about thirty seconds, but the fruit must be withdrawn 
as soon as the skin shows minute cracks on its surface. If left too long 
the sugar will ooze through the cracks in drying, rendering the fruit 
sticky and disagreeable to handle, and causing it to lose much of its 
best qualities; if it is removed too soon it will not dry well. After their 
removal from the lye bath the scalded prunes are next plunged into 
clean, fresh water, which rinses off all the lye that may have adhered to 
them in the first operation. This water must be changed frequently to 
prevent its becoming too heavily impregnated with lye. For dipping, 
the fruit is put into wire baskets or galvanized pails with perforated 
sides and bottoms. In the Buxton orchard, at Campbell, in Santa Clara 
County, a very ingenious device is used which does the work automat- 
ically. The prunes are taken direct from the orchard and unloaded 
into a bin. Elevators raise them to the grader, which removes all 
twigs, leaves, and rubbish, and assorts the fruit into two sizes. These 
two sizes each fall onto an endless apron, provided with carrying slats, 
and are carried through the lye baths, which are kept at a boiling pitch 
by steam pipes, a separate bath being provided for each sized fruit. The 
apron continues from the lye bath into the rinsing bath, which is kept 
fresh by a continuous stream of pure water Avhich flows through it, and 
from the rinsing bath the fruit is delivered to the trays. 



— 28 — 

Drying is done wholly by the sun. A number of experiments with 
driers have been made, but the machines were found wholly inadequate 
to handle the crops, and sunshine was found so much superior that 
they have fallen into almost complete disuse, and are now used to so 
limited an extent as to require no consideration in connection with the 
prune industry. After the fruit comes from its second, or fresh-water 
dip, it is spread evenly on trays of a convenient size, usually about two 
by three feet, made of thin lumber and easy to handle, and these trays 
are placed on the drying ground, a space which has been carefully 
selected with a view to its full exposure to the sun. The drying season 
extends from the middle of August until the- beginning of November. 
The length of time required for the complete desiccation of the fruit 
depends upon the weather, its heat, and the humidity of the atmosphere. 

In hot, dry conditions the fruit requires a shorter exposure than 
where it is cool and moist. The drying period will vary under these 
circumstances from a week to a month, and the time at which to remove 
the fruit from the drying grounds must be left to the judgment of the 
operator. It should, however, be sufficiently well dried to warrant its 
keeping under all conditions, but not so dry as to rattle. When suffi- 
ciently dried the fruit is taken to the processing house, where it is put 
into bins to "sweat." This operation requires from two to three weeks, 
during which period the fruit must be carefully shoveled over several 
times and thoroughly intermixed. At the end of the sweating season it 
assumes a black, glossy appearance, and resumes somewhat of its origi- 
nal plumpness. 

FINISHING. 

The next process is that of "finishing." This comprises a second 
bath, to which the now dried fruit is subjected. This bath is simply 
boiling water, to which is added such ingredients as the judgment or 
the whim of the individual grower may fancy will improve the appear- 
ance or quality of his fruit. The objects to be attained in the second 
dipping are to destroy whatever insect germs may have become attached 
in drying, and to soften the skin. The fruit should be left in the bath 
until partially cooked and these ends are accomplished. Some growers 
add sufficient salt to the dip to make a fairly strong brine, and this 
has the advantage of increasing the heat of the water several degrees 
beyond that to which fresh water can be heated, and making its efiect 
surer. Others add a small quantity of glycerine, glucose, fruit juices, 
and some few logwood or indigo. This is done for the purpose of im- 
proving the appearance of the fruit and adding to its gloss and color. 
Many of the most experienced packers decry the addition of any of the 
last named articles, claiming that they are ineffective and do not add 
either to the quality or appearance of the fruit. In about three hours 
the fruit will be sufficiently dry for packing. 

Before passing the finishing process the fruit is once more run through 
the grader and assorted into standard sizes for the market. There are 
usually six sizes: first, those ranging from forty to fifty to the pound; 
second, fifty to sixty; third, sixty to seventy; fourth, seventy to eighty; 
fifth, eighty to ninety, and sixth, all below ninety. 



— 29 — 

PACKING. 

The final operation in the handling of the prune is packing, and here 
again great judgment is required in putting up a thoroughly good 
article, that Avill present an attractive appearance and force its way on ' 
the market. Great care must be exercised that no fruit be packed until 
all surplus moisture between the fruit has entirely disappeared, for if 
packed Avhile damp the fruit will mold in the packages; at the same 
time all fruit that is overdried must be thrown out. The skillful packer 
can tell by the sense of touch just what fruit is fit for packing, and that 
which is not, as he runs his fingers over the piles before him. Much of 
the fruit is packed in boxes of ten, twenty-five, and fifty pounds each, 
but of late there is a growing demand for fruit in sacks, and large 
quantities are now shipped East in hundred-pound sacks, where it is 
either boxed by the Eastern dealer or sold direct from the sacks to the 
consumer. 



30 — 



PRUNES IN EUROPE-PRODUCTION AND MARKETS. 



THE FRENCH METHOD. 

George W. Roosevelt, United States Consul at Bordeaux, gives the 
following account of the French method of preparing the prune for 
market: 

" When the prune is ripe it is covered with a sort of glaucous powder, 
called flower, which greatly adds to its value as a table fruit. As the 
gathering is an important factor in the subsequent value of the prune, 
great care and good management are indispensable. The fruit is usually- 
gathered after the heat of the day has dissipated the humidity of the 
night. When possible, straw is carefully spread beneath the trees to pre- 
vent the fruit coming in contact with the earth. The prevailing custom, 
however, is to harrow the ground before gathering the plums. Only 
such fruit as readily falls when the tree is slightly shaken is gathered. 
As soon as harvested the fruit is taken to a building, properly called the 
fruitery, where it remains for a few days to complete maturity. Prunes 
are subjected to not less than three, and frequently to four, distinct cook- 
igns before being pronounced ready for market. Each of these opera- 
tions has a special end, in sight of which great care is demanded. The 
first two preliminary cookings have for object evaporation of water con- 
tained in the fruit, and preparation for the final cooking, which dries the 
fruit and imparts a certain brilliancy much sought after by buyers. 
Sun-dried prunes are most delicious in taste, but the exigencies of the 
trade do not permit of such long preparation. In several districts of 
France most primitive means are practiced in curing the fruit for market. 
In Provence the freshly gathered fruit is plunged into pots of boiling 
water, where it remains until the water again arrives at a boiling point. 
It is then removed from the boilers, placed in baskets, and gently shaken 
until cool, when it is put upon long trays and exposed to the heat of the 
sun to complete desiccation. At Digne the prunes are not gathered until 
completely matured. Women peel the fruit with their nails to avoid 
injury to the soft pulp. The fruit is strung upon small twigs, and in 
such fashion as not to touch. These sticks of prunes are stuck into 
straw frames, which are suspended in the sun, until the prunes easily 
detach from the stick; the pit is then removed, the fruit placed npon 
trays, exposed to the sun, and when thoroughly desiccated packed for 
market. 

" In the departments of Indes-et-Loire and Lot-et-Garonne immense 
ovens purposely constructed for prune cooking are used, but the pro- 
prietors often suffer loss from want of more commodious cooking appa- 
ratus, especially in windy or stormy weather, when the fruit falls in an 
embarrassing abundance, and he finds himself without means of imme- 
diately curing or preserving it. Most prunes are subjected to a preliminary 
washing to free them from dust or sand that may have adhered to them 
in falling to the ground. After washing, the fruit is exposed to the sun 
or air on beds of straw, or the trays npon which it is to be cooked, to 
rid it of all humidity. When dry it is spread in a single layer on the 



oi 

tray and at once submitted to the oven. The trays used in rural districts 
are quaint affairs, varying in form, dimensions, and construction, accord- 
ing to locality. They are made during the winter months by peasants, 
are clumsy and cumbersome, and the only excuse for their use is that 
the peasant cannot afford to buy, and is not skillful enough to make 
better ones. They are very primitive in their construction, consisting 
of a frame made of hoop, to which is fastened a wicker-like bottom 
fashioned from rushes or willow twigs. They hold from twelve to eight- 
een pounds of green fruit, representing about four or six pounds of 
prunes. Care is exercised in preparing the oven for the first cooking 
that the degree of heat shall not exceed 50 degrees Centigrade, and in 
the second not over 70 degrees. If the heat is too strong an ebullition 
is produced in the fruit, the skin bursts, the juice discharges, the prune 
becomes sticky, loses its flavor, and consequently its commercial value. 
After each cooking, which occupies about six hours, the fruit is removed 
from the oven and exposed to the air. When tlie prunes are cold they 
are carefully turned by women specially charged with this duty. They 
avoid disturbing the fruit while it is warm, as the touch renders it glu- 
tinous, and prevents the juice from congealing. The third cooking is 
performed at a temperature of 80 to 90 degrees, and occasionally at 100 
degrees. This, like the two preceding, should be conducted under most 
intelligent care. After the third cooking the prunes are sorted, and such 
as are found imperfectly cooked are again submitted to the oven. The 
degree of perfection in cooking is obtained when the fruit presents a 
dark purple color, solid and brilliant surface, malleable and elastic to 
the touch, and when the kernel is well done and intact in the shell. 
When these conditions are not obtained the kernel ferments, and alters 
the entire prune, which very soon molds and becomes worthless. Each 
cooking should not consume more than six hours. In the last, however, 
the process is sometimes prolonged, depending upon the condition of the 
fruit. The fruit loses about 70 per cent of its original weight. The 
dark color depends largely ujDon the degree of maturity at time of 
gathering. The brilliancy of surface has no other commercial value 
than proving the cleanliness ohserved in preparation and attracting the 
attention of buyers. Besides the different usages of the prune as an 
aliment, it is also employed in producing an agreeable brandy. 

" Prunes are divided into ten categories, taking the number of prunes 
necessary to a pound as a basis, and were formerly classified as follows: 
(1) Trash or refuse, more than 125 to the pound; (2) small prunes, 120 
to 125 to the pound; (3) small ordinary, 110 to 115 to the pound; (4) 
fine ordinary, 100 to 105 to the pound; (5) superior ordinary, second, 
90 to 95 to the pound; (6) superior ordinary, for exportation, or half 
choice in France, 80 to 85 to the pound; (7) first choice, 70 to 75 to the 
pound; (8) extra choice, 60 to 65 to the pound; (9) imperial, 50 to 55 
to the pound; (10) imperial flower, 40 to 45 to the pound. 

" This classification offered opportunities to sell inferior prunes for 
those of good quality, and to prevent this abuse was changed and sim- 
plified as follows: No. 1 represents 90 to 92 to the pound; No. 2 repre- 
sents 80 to 82 to the pound; No. 3 represents 70 to 72 to the pound; 
No. 4 represents 60 to 62 to the pound; No. 5 represents 55 to 56 to the 
pound; No. 6 represents 44 to 45 to the pound; No. 7 represents 40 to 
41 to the pound; No. 8 represents 34 to 35 to the pound; No. 9 repre- 
sents 30 to 31 to the pound. 



— 32 — 

"When ready for exportation the fruit is pressed flat between two 
cylinders covered with rubber, and then packed into cases by a special 
machine called a packer. Many dealers still perform this operation in 
the primitive manner of foot pressure, which is simple, speedy, and 
equally as satisfactory. Bordeaux is the principal center of this par- 
ticular commerce, which is yearly increasing. Besides the large amount 
of prunes exported to European countries by way of rail, there are 
about one hundred vessels annually leaving this port loaded with this 
valuable and succulent product. The most important exportation of 
this production is to the United States. During the past eight years 
14,553,000 worth of prunes, or an average of -1569,125, have been invoiced 
through this consulate, as will be seen by the following: 

1880 $219,736 68 

1881 525,052 58 

1882 369.150 64 

1883 66i;i66 69 

1884 577,480 58 

1886 792,640 96 

1886 840,299 19 

1887 5«8,356 82 

Total .. $4,553,884 14 

"In the beginning of the prune industry many devices were employed 
for their proper conservation. The first ovens were very primitive, and 
the work of preparing the fruit for market laborious. At present there 
are many different kinds of ovens in use, possessing more or less distinct 
features, but about the same in general principles. The most generally 
used are the Bournel and the Marletean ovens. The only ovens in use 
are of French patent and make." 

PRODUCTION AND MARKETS. 

The principal markets for California prunes are Chicago and New 
York, by far the greater portion being shipped to Chicago. Some 
smaller shipments are also sent to Philadelphia and Pittsburg. From 
these central points the product finds its way to the retailers, and 
thence to the consumers of the country. Although but a compara- 
tively new aspirant for public favor, the California prune has forced 
its way in advance of the imported article, and brings from 2 to 2^ 
cents per pound more than the French prune sold in competition with 
it. The proportion of pit and skin to meat in the California fruit is 
much less than in that of the French article, while the proportion of 
saccharine matter is much greater. These features give our domestic 
fruit its great advantage over the imported article. This popularit}" 
should be no surprise, as the California French prune is a different 
article from the imported French prune. Our prunes, as every con- 
sumer knows, are more like dates, and when cooked are of a most 
delicious flavor. Besides this, dealers have found out that the Cali- 
fornia prune keeps better and longer without sugaring than the imported 
goods. 

The prune crop of 1889 was variously estimated at from fifteen 
million to eighteen million pounds, and it was sold at fair prices, ranging 
from 5 to 9 ^ents per pound, the average in the market being 2 cents 
higher than the imported. The crop of 1890 was expected to fall short, 
owing to excessive rain upon the bloom, and the excessive moisture in the 



33 



soil, which caused much of the fruit to drop after having attained a fair 
size. At the end of the season it was apparent that the output was but 
very little, if at all, less than the preceding year. Prices for green 
fruit delivered at the driers ranged from $21 to $30 per ton. 

The amount of prunes now consumed in the United States is enormous, 
but the consumption is capable of great enlargement as the superior 
quality of the Pacific Coast product becomes better known. It will be 
years before the demand on this side of the Atlantic can be supplied, and 
when that shall have occurred there will be the market of Europe and the 
rest of the world to supply. The immense area devoted to prune culture 
this season (1891) testifies to the profound confidence felt in the future 
of the industry by the people of California, and that confidence certainly 
appears well founded. 

The following table gives the foreign import and California production 
for the six years from 1885 to 1891, inclusive: 





Foreign Imports, by Years, 
Ending June 30. 


Californiapro- 
duction, by 




Pounds. 


Value. 


Years, ending 

December :u— 

Pounds. 


1885... 


57,631,820 
64.995,545 
92.032,625 
70,626,027 
46,154.825 
58,093,410 
34,281,322 


$2,147,505 00 
2,026,595 00 
2,999,648 00 
2,197,150 00 
1,423,304 00 
1,789,176 00 
2,054,486 00 




1886 


2,000,000 

1,825,000 

2,100,000 

15,200,000 

12,200,000 

27,000,000 


1887 . 

1888... 


1889 


1890 


1891 





Professor Allen, of San Jose, speaking of the rapid growth of the 
prune industry, says: 

"The first shipment of prunes was made in 1867, by J. Q. A. Ballou, 
one of the oldest orchardists in the valley, and was consigned to A. Lusk 
<fe Co., of San Francisco; there were about 500 pounds of dried French 
prunes in the consignment. This was the first shipment of prunes from 
the valley, and comprised the entire crop. During the fall of 1891 there 
have been shipped from San Jose, alone, 19,207,165 pounds. There are 
at least 2,000,000 pounds more awaiting shipment. 

" Mr. Ballou raised his fruit from alDOut fifteen trees, at which time 
there were not more than one hundred trees in bearing in the valley. 
Now there are not less than one million, one half of which are in bearing." 

The importation of prunes into the United States for the year 1890, 
to December 31, was 61,905,782 pounds, valued at $2,819,420, an increase 
over the importations of 1889 of 18,188,429 pounds, and an increased 
value of $584,029. The product of the State of California for the same 
period is given for 1889 at 15,200,000, and 1890 at 12,200,000, or 28,517,- 
353 pounds less than were imported in 1889, and 48,705,782 pounds less 
than were imported in 1890. It would appear that while the United States 
imports from three to four times the quantity of prunes produced by 
California, there is still a large field for our domestic fruit, and that, 
with our continually increasing population, the danger of oversupply is 
still very remote, and prune growing in California may be relied upon 
as a profitable industry for years, if not for generations yet to come. 



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